I bought this cigar some months back at a Tampa B&M. I was struck by the name of the cigar, as it is synonymous with what Midwesterners call pompous people from Los Angeles. Not all Los Angeles residents qualify as an Angelenos, but the ones that do usually redefine douchery. You know the ones I'm talking about if you've ever been to the town. Out to be seen, living above their means, driving cars that are either too expensive to be considered a car or some Toyota Pious (look at me I'm a douche that can get 50 MPG!), shopping in organic supermarkets, talking about the celebrities they say they know (they really don't), shopping their screenplays etc... You get the point, basically everything that a cigar person is not. So I wondered, why name a cigar after this particularly pretentious group of people? I have no answer, but it is an unfortunate name.
The cigar itself presents well, all though it does not meet the quality that I visually expect for a super premium cigar, this one prices in the fifteen dollar range. The wrapper seems a bit too dry to me, but it is nicely applied. An inspection shows me no areas of concern and I note that the cap is nicely done. The pre light aroma is of cinnamon and cedar. The pre light draw is sharp, but has some cedar flavors.
The cigar opens with a profile that is all Angleno (the people not the smoke), in that it is everything I hate in a cigar. The core profile is full of bitter spice notes and some odd vegetal flavors that are really not appealing at all. At the back of the palate there are some cedar flavors that are nice, but the sharp and bitter spice notes from the front of the smoke permeate the experience. The draw is a little tight for me, I like more smoke delivered for the amount of effort that I am putting in at this point. The burn is solid at this point.
The first half of the cigar shows some improvement, but it is nothing to get excited about. The core profile loses some of the bitter flavors, but the odd vegetal flavors continue. There is also a muted cinnamon note here, but it is not enough to elevate the profile to anything more than below average. The back of the palate continues to be sharp, but the cedar notes are more pronounced at least. The draw is slightly better, but it is still too tight for me at this point. The burn remains as the best part of this cigar to this point.
The final half of the cigar really stays fairly flat. The core profile picks up some creamy and minty flavors, but they don't work with the back drop of vegetation that is still in the mix here. The back of the profile continues to show cedar flavors, but the sharp notes are still present at this point. The draw is just reaching the point of being acceptable when the cigar is nearly finished. The burn was solid throughout.
The finish was middling with sharp cedar and mint notes.
Appearance- 86 slightly above average
Taste- 73 a very poor profile with little character, depth or complexity
Construction- 82 a tight draw hurts this score
Strength- 85 an average mild to medium
Overall- 80.25 not a good smoke at all, save your money
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